King Eric Cantona at 50.

As Eric Cantona turns 50, we recall his best moments with Manchester United and pick out 50 reasons why he will always remain an iconic figure with supporters and team-mates alike.

Arrival… Upon joining from Leeds in November 1992, Cantona's impact was instant. "He swaggered in," said Sir Alex Ferguson, "stuck his chest out, raised his head and surveyed everything as though saying: 'I'm Cantona. How big are you? Are you big enough for me?'"

Goal v Chelsea in Dec 1992… Picking up the knockdown from Lee Sharpe's cross, he swivelled to finish and mark his Manchester United debut with a goal.

Aura… Cantona had an effect on team-mates as well as his manager. "He just had that aura and presence about him," Paul Ince told Sky Sports. "He took the responsibility away from us players, it was like he said 'I'm Eric, and I'm here to win the title for you.'"

Goal v Tottenham in Jan 1993… Expertly looped a header over Erik Thorstvedt from Denis Irwin's left-wing cross to open the scoring for United in their 4-1 win.

Entertainer… Love him or loathe him, Cantona was box office and lit up the early years of the Premier League. "In my eyes, he was responsible for the Premier League developing as quickly as it did," said Peter Schmeichel. "Everyone took to him, controversy or not."

Goal v Manchester City in Mar 1993… A powerful header low into the net from a left-wing cross, this was his first derby goal and an equaliser that secured United an important point.


Cantona celebrates scoring a derby goal against Manchester City in 1993
Charisma… Sometimes he didn't even need to do anything. "Cantona led by his presence more than anything else," said Roy Keane. "His charisma." Gary Neville agreed, saying: "He'll always have a place in the hearts of the fans because of his charisma and his daring."

Goal v Southampton in Aug 1993… Collecting a pass on the left edge of the penalty box, he deftly chipped the goalkeeper to score United's second in a 3-1 away win at The Dell.

Misunderstood… Despite the outward demeanour, that did not translate itself to cockiness off the pitch. "He wasn't arrogant at all but polite and considered," said Neville. "He always remained real. He drove a modest car, lived in a modest house in Salford."

Goal v Arsenal in Sep 1993… One of his best, a rocket of an effort from an indirect free-kick to beat David Seaman and give United a 1-0 win over the Gunners at Old Trafford.

Focus… There was an intensity to his approach that was alien to some of his team-mates. "He spent a few days in a hotel just focusing on the games," Andrei Kanchelskis told Sky Sports. "He was a little bit strange, but that is Eric Cantona."

Goal v Queens Park Rangers in Oct 1993… A fine solo effort, nicking the ball away from one marker before running into space, cutting inside and firing low into the corner of the net.

Commitment… "He would come in at half past nine in the morning - an hour before us lot - do his own warm-up and practise his skills and his touches," said Ince. "By the end of the season, there were about eight or nine players joining him at half past nine."

Goal v Manchester City in Nov 1993… After a bit of ball juggling to start the move, he also finished it off neatly at the far post. It was part of a brace in a 3-2 win at Maine Road.

Desire… Cantona's determination to put in the hard yards was obvious in training - he was anxious to get better despite his status as the team's most talented player. "He trained as hard as lesser players and strived for improvement," said Neville.

Goal v Sheffield United in Dec 1993… Not his most famous goal against the Blades, but this left-footed effort after running onto a Ryan Giggs pass from his own half was impressive enough.

Influence… "He had a massive influence on my career as a young player coming into the team," Giggs told Sky Sports. "We struck up a good relationship and he ruled Old Trafford for five years. He was unbelievable to play with, watch in games and in training."

Goa

José to retain Giggs.

Jose Mourinho is prepared to find a place for Ryan Giggs on his Manchester United coaching staff, but not in the role of assistant manager, according to Sky sources.

Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes will arrive in England on Tuesday for talks with United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward at an undisclosed central London location.

Whilst an agreement is expected to be reached quickly due to Mourinho's strong desire to become United manager, and the fact initial talks took place earlier in the year, one detail still to be concluded is the length of his contract.

Mourinho will take his trusted deputy Rui Faria to Old Trafford as assistant manager though, meaning an effective demotion for Giggs if he agrees to stay at the club.

However, Mourinho holds the former winger's achievements at United in high regard and is keen to find a role for him to extend his 29-year association with the Red Devils.

Giggs, United's most decorated player, previously worked under David Moyes as player-coach, before taking charge of the final four games of the 2013-14 season in the role of interim manager when Moyes was sacked.

He was then named assistant manager when Louis van Gaal took charge the following summer. Giggs has been seen by some influential figures at the club as a future United manager, although this is the second time he has been overlooked for the top job.

Woodward briefed Giggs on the latest developments at the club's Carrington training ground on Monday, before the confirmation of Van Gaal's sacking was made public later in the day.

It is expected Giggs will speak with Mourinho in person before making a decision on his future. However, that conversation will not take place before Mourinho's own contract with the club is signed.

Mourinho has worked with Faria since 2001, when the former was appointed manager of Uniao de Leiria, and hired Faria as fitness coach and assistant manager.

They have been inseparable since, with Faria following Mourinho to Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, before returning to Chelsea for their second spell. The pair met at Mourino's London home on Monday afternoon, spending around 90 minutes discussing their next move.

The future of highly-rated Under-21 team boss Warren Joyce is also uncertain. Blackburn Rovers approached United for permission to speak to Joyce last week.

 is keen to make the step up to manage at a higher level, although he wishes to know where he fits in to Mourinho's plans before making a final decision. It is thought United will not stand in Joyce's way if he wishes to leave, but will defer the final decision to Mourinho.

Let the rivalry recommence: pep and José in Manchester.

Pep Guardiola took his seat at the Santiago Bernabéu, looked up at the cameras pointing his way from the back of the room, asked which one was José Mourinho’s and, concluding that they must all be, began. It was the eve of the 2011 Champions League semi-final and Guardiola came out fighting. What followed was a long, pointed monologue aimed at his adversary, a settling of scores with a touch of the title weigh-in about it. “In this [press] room, he is the puto jefe, the puto amo – the fucking boss, the fucking master,” Guardiola insisted. “And I don’t want to compete with him for a moment.”

Now he will have to, all over again. José Mourinho versus Pep Guardiola has moved to Manchester. “I know him and he knows me,” Guardiola said that night. They had worked together at Barcelona, captain and assistant coach; had faced each other as managers on either side of the clásico divide; and briefly met when Chelsea played Bayern Munich in the 2013 European Super Cup; this time they share a city, a rivalry renewed. The two biggest names, elevated to comic-book or cinematic status. “Ah, Mr Pep, we meet again … ” perhaps, or, “This town ain’t big enough for the both of us”.

It almost feels as if it had to be this way; that once City got Guardiola, United had to get his arch enemy, a counter-reaction for every reaction; as if this was a decision driven by personality and status. Opposites who attract. On some basic, emotional level: if City have a big name, United have to have a bigger one. On a footballing one: if City have Guardiola, United have to seek out a guarantee, the one man who can stop him. There may be others who could, of course, but that is how it is set up. And so the pattern is repeated. When Madrid signed Mourinho in the summer of 2010 his mission was simple: to defeat Guardiola and bring down Barcelona.

The mission stood before him daily. A life-sized cardboard cut-out used to be propped up in Mourinho’s office at Valdebebas depicting him sprinting across the Camp Nou turf, finger in the air, celebrating at the end of the 2010 Champions League semi-final. Internazionale had reached the final, Barcelona had not. For Madrid, there was relief and revelation: Mourinho had rescued them from watching the Catalan club lift the trophy at the Bernabéu. Now he had to complete the job. The plan was one with which United are familiar: to knock their rivals off their perch.

So Mourinho set about waging war, on and off the pitch. Conflict was his cause and it became increasingly personal. Perhaps it always had been: even Guardiola had told Barcelona’s president Joan Laporta that it would be easier to make Mourinho Barça manager in 2008, but he had been chosen instead. Mourinho, who once declared that Barcelona would be “for ever” in his heart, wanted the job. Then there was the task before him, an enormous one requiring shock tactics: Guardiola’s team had won the treble in 2009 and the league in 2010. Only he had prevented them reaching a second successive European Cup final.

Mourinho sought to break up the relationship that had built between Madrid and Barcelona players who had just won the 2010 World Cup together with Spain, telling them that he had been there and he knew that their Catalan colleagues hated Spain and would never truly be their friends. He bemoaned referees and committees, favourable fixtures and even teams that did not try; in short, a campaign against his club. Somehow Madrid and Mourinho were projected as the powerless little man, the victims.

His campaign against Barcelona was relentless – even if he rarely referred to them by name, preferring to cite “other clubs”. He attacked their elevation to untouchable status and their image as the game’s good guys, their projection of themselves as the sole defenders of “football”, as if no other style was legitimate. He railed against their “purity” and blamelessness. He accused them of diving and pressuring officials, who favoured them. He insisted that, behind the

Gotze commited to Bayern.

Mario Gotze has insisted he is committed to impressing incoming Bayern Munich manager Carlo Ancelotti, which appears to rule out a move to Liverpool.

Sky sources revealed in March that Liverpool were interested in a summer move for the Bayern playmaker, with Jurgen Klopp reportedly making him his No 1 summer transfer target.

Gotze has plummeted down the Bayern pecking order under Pep Guardiola's reign as manager, with the Spaniard opting to leave the midfielder on the bench for big games, including the Bundesliga club's crucial Champions League semi-final ties with Atletico Madrid last month.

But, speaking to Bild, the Germany international insisted he was relishing the chance of a fresh start under Ancelotti, who is due to take charge of Bayern in the coming weeks.

"I look forward to the new season in Munich and will do everything possible to be in top shape for my first training session under Carlo Ancelotti," he said.

The 23-year-old, who has a year left on his contract, had also been linked with a move to Juventus, as well as a return to former club Borussia Dortmund.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Gotze has parted ways with his agent Volker Struth at SportsTotal after their relationship was made difficult due to Struth's criticism of Bayern last year.

A SportsTotal statement said: "After extensive deliberations and discussions in the past few weeks, we have come together to decide that we will terminate the cooperation.

"Therefore we met for a joint discussion and parted by mutual consent. I thank him for his many years of trust and wish him well for the future."

Gotze has spent six years under SportsTotal's care and thanked them for their service.

He added: "I thank SportsTotal for a very good cooperation with many highlights and great memories that have shaped my career decisively."

Cristiano Ronaldo Endorsement and Earnings.

Cristiano Ronaldo Endorsement Contracts: He is the best paid Football player in the World. According to the Forbes list of  World’s Highest-Paid Athletes the Portuguese international has earned $80 million  last year, which also make him second richest Athlete in the World.



He is the popular choice for brands for their Endorsement, as Real Madrid star enjoys a huge fan following Worldwide. He has over 100 million likes on the Facebook and 30 million followers on the Twitter. He represents Nike, Emporio Armani, KFC, Coca Cola and  motor oil company Castrol.

Here are the complete details of the Cristiano Ronaldo Sponsorship deals:

Cristiano Ronaldo Net Worth:
 Total Net Worth:$300 Million
Net Worth 2015: $80 Million
Endorsements Contracts: $28 Million
Cristiano Ronaldo Endorsement Brands:
1. Nike:

Contract Value: £14.1 million a year
End Date: 2020

He is the leading Face of the World’s famous sports brand Nike. The Real Madrid star has big deals with Nike and make 6 million Euros a year . Previously he has earned $41.1 millions by Endorsing Nike Which he signed in 2010.

He is set to sign new deal with the Nike worth of $64 million for next five years as the current deal expires, which will be the most lucrative deal. Nike launched special edition Mercurial Superfly CR7 before the FIFA World 2014 Brazil.

2. Armani:

Value: £1 million
End Date: 2019

He replaced his former Manchester United David Beckham for the endorsement of the Armani. Ronaldo modeling for the Emporio Armani men’s underwear and Jeans.

3. KFC:

Value:  $2 million
End Date: 2016

He signed Endorsement contract with KFC in 2013, which is worth of $2 million. The day advertisement came out, company sees major increase in the sales. At the same Ronaldo KFC Endorsement raised eyebrows, as per area manager Middle East of Spanish sports management firm Media Base Digital (MBD), Max Roures; ”  The KFC endorsement is a weird deal because he’s promoting fast food.

4. Emirates:

Value: Fee unknown
End Date: 2019

While Lionel Messi endorse Turkish Airlines, Ronaldo appeared in the Emirates advertisement along with the legendary and one of the best player of all times, Pele.

5. Tag Heuer:

Value: Fee unknown
End Date: 2019

He joined the Tag Heuer in 2014, as long term brand Ambassador of the Tag Heuer.

6. Coca-Cola:

Value:  £70m
End Date: 2019

Coca-Cola Endorsement deal is one of the most lucrative deal, he has signed.

7. Castrol:

Value: £5.5m
End Date: 2015

The Real Madrid player became the brand Ambassador of Castrol in 2009 by signing deal of £8.2m for two years. He extended his affiliation with Castrol as he renewed the contract with £5.5m.

8. Konami:

Value: £70 million
End Date: 2018

He joined Konami as  brand Ambassador of Pro Evolution Soccer.

Grealish Scores as England continue their winning ways.

Jack Grealish and Cauley Woodrow both scored twice as England Under-21s continued their winning start in the Toulon Tournament with a 7-1 win over Guinea.

But Gareth Southgate's men had to come back from behind after Thierno Diallo gave the Group B minnows the lead with only 48 seconds on the clock in Aubagne.

Grealish quickly volleyed an equaliser before James Ward-Prowse put England ahead from the penalty spot after a handball in the box.

The dangerous Nathan Redmond zipped in a third goal before Grealish capped a full debut to remember just before half-time.

Grealish drifted past two defenders before firing home to effectively put the game out of sight at the interval.

Fulham striker Woodrow was the star of the second half and he helped make it 5-1 four minutes after the break when his initial shot hit the woodwork then ricocheted into the net off the unfortunate Mohamed Toure.

Woodrow got on the scoresheet himself just before the hour mark when he drifted in from the left channel and fired home past the exposed Guinea goalkeeper.

And he grabbed his second in the 73rd minute after Duncan Watmore raced onto a Nathaniel Chalobah through-ball before delivering a precise cross from which the Fulham man side-footed home.

Adam Bate: Mourinho Mythbursting.

The prospect of Jose Mourinho as Manchester United manager comes amid criticism of his playing style and failure to bring through young talent. But is that a fair assessment? Adam Bate seeks to bust some of the myths surrounding the Portuguese coach...

Everyone has an opinion when it comes to Jose Mourinho. The man himself can hardly blame anyone else for that. For more than a decade, his abrasive style and antagonistic approach has helped turn him into one of the most divisive figures in the game.

But that fact has meant that even his periods of prolonged success have seen caveats emerge. Mourinho wins matches - but what about the style of play? He guarantees trophies, but what about the issue of a lasting legacy when youngsters fail to break through?

Mourinho's flaws have gathered a narrative of their own, but that doesn't mean they should not be challenged where appropriate. And neither issue should necessarily dissuade Manchester United supporters when it comes to what Mourinho could bring to their club.

Firstly, the matter of Mourinho's style has always seemed a curious criticism. His first Chelsea side were a swaggering force following his 2004 arrival, with the wing threats of Arjen Robben, Damien Duff and Joe Cole providing plenty of entertainment to go with the power.

In the space of nine Premier League games in that first season, Chelsea put four past six different sides as they finished with 72 goals - 14 more than Manchester United that season. They repeated that feat in retaining the title the following year.

Nobody scored more goals than Porto over his two full seasons in charge, and Mourinho's Inter were the top scorers in Serie A in each of his two years in Italy. But it's the efforts of his Real Madrid team that should really have banished such talk.

Mourinho's Real not only scored more than 100 league goals in each of his three seasons at the Bernabeu, but they even succeeded in outscoring the great Barcelona team over that period too. The 121 goals scored in the 2011/12 title-winning season is a La Liga record.

The indulgence of Cristiano Ronaldo in Spain and later Eden Hazard on that left wing has shown that there is some flexibility within Mourinho's structure. Both men flourished under him, and that's true of flair players in other areas of the pitch too.

Wesley Sneijder and Mesut Ozil were successful in the No 10 position, while the willingness to use Cesc Fabregas in a deeper role on a regular basis in Chelsea's 2014/15 title-winning season is further evidence that Mourinho is not wedded to a functional midfield either.

Of course, he compromises for the biggest of matches, particularly in adopting a more cautious approach in European knockout ties. But that would be nothing new for a club that used Ji Sung-Park, Darren Fletcher and Danny Welbeck precisely for such a purpose.

Mourinho is a manager who expects tactical discipline and perhaps it's an inevitable consequence of the importance he places on this that feeds into those questions of youth development. He prefers his players fully formed and so is happier relying on experience.

But this issue too can be overplayed. There's a fear that young players would fade from view at Old Trafford but who should be included on that list? For example, Jesse Lingard is the exact same age as John Terry was when Mourinho first pitched up at Stamford Bridge.

Memphis Depay might be seen as the sort of talent of questionable focus who Mourinho might give up on, but he's 22 years old - just as Hazard was when Mourinho took the helm at Chelsea in the summer of 2013. The similarities are there.

Others will argue that Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku were shifted on by the Blues; Mourinho will point to the 50 games for the club that he gave Kurt Zouma, also doing the same with Raphael Varane at Real Madrid. He's not afraid to give young defenders a chance.

Both were big-money signings rather than academy players and that's something that Mourinho would be

Van Gaal sacked by United confirm.

Louis van Gaal has been sacked as manager of Manchester United, the club have confirmed.

The Dutchman spent the day at the club's Carrington training ground - after a day of negotiations over the terms of the compensation package for him and his coaching staff - before leaving just before 5pm.

Sky sources believe the Dutchman was informed on Sunday night he would no longer be in charge of the club - the club are yet to comment but a statement is expected on Monday evening.

It is thought this could coincide with the closing of the New York Stock Exchange at 9pm BST - United's share price has risen two per cent today.

We understand United are now due to speak to Jose Mourinho's representatives about replacing Van Gaal on Tuesday.

The former Chelsea boss - out of work since leaving Stamford Bridge before Christmas - spent Monday in London, and was seen leaving his home with long-time assistant Rui Faria.

As he returned for the second time - without Faria - he told reporters, cameramen and photographers waiting outside: "Go home, go home, go home because I don't leave the house today. It's better to go home."

Van Gaal arrived at Carrington at 8.45am and he was joined there an hour later by employment lawyer Paul Gilroy QC.

Ryan Giggs - whose own future is unclear after 29 years with United as a player and coach - left about 30 minutes after Gilroy arrived.

Gilroy also negotiated David Moyes' severance package when he was dismissed two years ago and he left again at around 3.30pm.

Although he waved to reporters waiting outside, he was driven away without making any comment.

Van Gaal's imminent exit has been widely expected despite him leading the club to the FA Cup on Saturday with a 2-1 final win over Crystal Palace.

Van Gaal has been in charge at Old Trafford since replacing Moyes and the weekend success at Wembley gave them their first trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson's reign ended in 2013.

His win rate is the third best of all of United's permanent managers at 51 per cent but this season has seen him attract criticism for his team's style of play.

United scored an average of just 1.29 goals per Premier League match, having always been over 1.5 goals per game each season since the inception of the revamped top flight in 1992.

At one point, the team went eight games without winning and recorded just three victories in 15 matches at the end of 2015.

Form in the second half of the campaign was better and it led to the cup win but a fifth-place finish in the Premier League and failure to qualify for the Champions League has cost Van Gaal.

Man United sack Van gaal.

Manchester United have sacked manager Louis van Gaal, according to reports, with a club statement expected on Monday afternoon.

The Dutchman's departure has been widely expected following Saturday's FA Cup win over Crystal Palace, with Sky sources understanding Jose Mourinho is set to take over as United manager.

Van Gaal left United's team hotel in London on Sunday following their FA Cup triumph, telling Sky Sports News HQ's reporter "it's over".

United later insisted that comment was referring purely to the season being "over" rather than his reign as United boss.

However, after a meeting with employment lawyer Paul Gilroy QC at the club's Carrington training base on Monday morning, it appears Van Gaal and United have parted company.

The former Barcelona coach arrived at around 8.45am, with Gilroy - the man who negotiated David Moyes' severance package two years ago - following about an hour later.


The future of Ryan Giggs (right) has still to be determined as United prepare to make a statement at 1pm on Monday
Assistant manager Ryan Giggs, whose official connection with United goes back 29 years, left half an hour after Gilroy's appearance and his future is also unclear.

At one stage, news agency Reuters said United were expected to make a statement at 1pm - the same time as the New York Stock Exchange opens.

If the club is going to change its manager, it must announce it there first but nothing came.

Van Gaal has been in charge at Old Trafford for two years after replacing Moyes as manager and the weekend success at Wembley gave them their first trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson's reign ended in 2013.

His win rate is the third best of all of United's permanent managers at 51 per cent but this season has seen him attract criticism for his team's style of play.

United scored an average of just 1.29 goals per Premier League match having always been over 1.5 goals per game each season since the inception of the revamped top flight in 1992.

At one point the team went eight games without winning and recorded just three victories in 15 matches at the end of 2015.

Form in the second half of the campaign was better and it led to the cup win but a fifth-place finish in the Premier League and failure to qualify for the Champions League looks to have been costly for Van Gaal.

Enrique happy to end season with double.

Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique said his side were deserving winners after they beat Sevilla 2-0 in Sunday night's Copa del Rey final to complete another league and cup double.

Barca had to play for more than an hour with 10 men at the Vicente Calderon after Javier Mascherano's first-half dismissal, but after Sevilla had also been reduced to 10 before extra-time with the sending off of Ever Banega, Jordi Alba finally broke the deadlock in the 97th minute.

Things got worse for Sevilla as Daniel Carrico was also sent off, before Neymar wrapped up Barca's win in stoppage time.

Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique said his side were deserving winners after they beat Sevilla 2-0 in Sunday night's Copa del Rey final to complete another league and cup double.

Barca had to play for more than an hour with 10 men at the Vicente Calderon after Javier Mascherano's first-half dismissal, but after Sevilla had also been reduced to 10 before extra-time with the sending off of Ever Banega, Jordi Alba finally broke the deadlock in the 97th minute.

Things got worse for Sevilla as Daniel Carrico was also sent off, before Neymar wrapped up Barca's win in stoppage time.

"The team did not have to prove anything," added Enrique. "They keep winning with different coaches. They have fun doing what they do. They know how to overcome adversity. In the end, we deserved it."

Mascherano was dismissed nine minutes before half-time for hauling down Kevin Gameiro just outside the box.

Luis Enrique had no complaints about the referee's decision, but was proud of how his players reacted.

"The team cannot show any more character and capacity," he said. "With 10 players, we were able to react. We are a team made to attack but we defend very well too."

Sevilla were left disappointed only days after beating Liverpool to lift the Europa League, and coach Unai Emery admitted their midweek efforts in Switzerland may have come at a cost.

"The team has competed very well," said Emery. "With 11 men, we were able to take control of possession and create chances. Perhaps in the final stages we lacked some freshness, but we know how hard the team has worked on Wednesday.

"We must congratulate Barcelona but I'm very proud of the team's work in this final and in the competition.

"We showed great desire to win the final over 120 minutes. We lacked success in the end but with a little more freshness we would have had it."